Track recorder mechanism



I. F. CARTER 2,058,564

TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM 1, Filed April 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 60 P i f| g,5' 1156 25 1 7' M 37 g:

, Y I J 5 :TORNEY Oct. 27, 1936. 1.. F. CARTER 2,058,564

I TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM Filed April 16', 1932 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M ii- J=.- VIIIIIIII/IIMI/IIIIIIMMl/IIIIII/IIM= lWWI/IMMillIIIIMI/IIl/Il/M/M/Mlj ll| r/ ////////////I////////I///////////////A m I 1 W. 20

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Leslie F. Carter, Leonia, N. J., assignor to Sperry Products, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 16, 1932, Serial No. 605,587

Claims.

My invention relates to mechanism for representing irregularities in surface contour and is particularly adapted for the purpose of giving values representing irregularities in the rails of a track. This invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in the patent of Elmer A. Sperry, No. 1,843,959 granted February 9, 1932, for Track recorders. The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 513,845 filed February 6, 1931 for Track recorder mechanism.

My invention can be utilized for representing the differences in elevation between the tracks. It is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide insuch mechanism a cross beam which actuates the mechanism for representing the difierences in elevation and which is at all times maintained parallel to the car axle, not onlywhen the axle tilts due to differences in elevation between the rails of a track but also when the car body tilts with respect to said axle.

It is a further object of my invention to show how the mechanism described above for representing differences in elevation between the rails of a track may be utilized also for representing the irregularities in each rail, that is, the elevation or sag of portions of a rail irrespective of bouncing or pitching of the car body.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic illustrations which explain the necessity for my invention.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the recording mechanism, the car body being sectioned vertically.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a portion of the Fig. 3 device, showing in particular the linkage arrangement between the recording pens and the actuating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, largely diagrammatic, showing the pn'ncipleinvolved in utilizing my invention for the purpose of representing diiierences in elevation in a single rail.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing the Fig. 5 device, the car body being cut away to disclose the interior mechanism.

In track recorder mechanism of the type to which this invention relates, it is known from the hereinbefore mentioned Sperry patent that in determining differences in elevation between the rails of a track there is employed a beam l0 pivoted at its center II and connected by cables l2, I3 to the ends of the axle I4, so that should any tilting of said axle occur, the beam will also be tilted. Referring to Fig. 1, if the beam l0 could be made the same length as the axle and the cables extendedvertically upward through openings in the 'car-body,,it becomes apparent, first,

that said beam and axle would always maintain parallelism therewith regardless of the tilt of the axle relative to the car-body, and, secondly, that movements of the car-body would have no efiect on the said cross beam, because in effect the cables have no connection with the car-body. It is not feasible, however, to provide a beam which is of the same length as the axle, because it will be understood that within the car-body such beam must be mounted at sufiicient height to enable operators to pass thereunder, and at such height the car-body converges towards the roof portion, which is of decidedly less dimension laterally than the lower body portion. It has therefore been found necessary to employ on track recorder cars a beam that is of substantially less length than the axle.

Such relative lengths of beam and axle necessitate leading the cable connections between the axle and beam l0 around pulleys 20, 2| connected to the car-body, as shown in Fig. 2. This results, first, in destroying parallelism between the beam and the axle whenever the car-body tilts or the axle tilts due to differences in elevation between the rails of the track. The reason for this is readily seen. If, for example, the right end of the axle tilted upwardly 2", the cable would be paid out 2" and the right end of the beam would rise 2". Since the beam is shorter than the axle, a rise of 2 at the end of the beam results in a greater angular displacement of the beam than a rise of 2" at the end of the axle results in angular displacement of the axle. Parallelism is therefore immediately destroyed as soon as there is a tilt of the axle. Secondly, it is apparent that if the car-body tilts, regardless of whether or not the axle tilts, movement is im parted to the beam to such extent as to operate the recording mechanism to give a representation similar to that caused by actual difierence in level between the rails of the track. The reason for this is also apparent from the diagram of Fig. 2. If, for example, the right side of the car-body tilts downwardly 2" at point X, the cable is paid out 2" and the end of the beam rises 2". At point Y, however, the car-body has been depressed only a fraction of the said 2" and it would be necessary to pay out the cable only to the same extent, that is, the same fraction of 2", in order to keep the beam parallel to the axle. The cable, however, causes the end of the beam to rise the full 2" and therefore destroys parallelism between the beam and the axle.

By my invention I provide a construction which,

while enabling the use of a beam which is of less lengththan the axle and which therefore necessitates cable connections that travel over pulleys on the car-body, will nevertheless atall times maintain parallelism between said beam and the axle regardless of movements of the car-body and inclination of the axle due to differences in elevation between the rails of the track. For this purpose I introduce into the construction of Fig. 2 the following modifications. Instead of connecting the end of each cable to the respective end of the beam, I continue said cable around a pulley 25 mounted in the end of the beam and fix the end of said cable to the car-body at 26, thus providing two branches Aand B in place of the one previously used. At the same time I make the beam half the length of the axle. As a result of this construction it will be seen that I have immediately cured all the defects that were present in the Fig. 2 form of the recorder. Assume again that the right end of the axle rises 2", and therefore the cable is paid out 2 at point X. At point Y the rise in the axle is only 1", since the axle and the car-body tilt about a neutral, central point in the axle and the car-body floor, respectively. In order to maintain parallelism between the beam and the axle, the beam end at point Y should also rise but 1". This is in fact the case, because the cable having been paid out 2, the

said 2 is divided among the two branches A and B and each branch lengthens but 1", so that the beam end rises 1" and therefore maintains parallelism with the axle.

Similarly it will be found that this construction has remedied the defect pointed out in the Fig. 2 construction which arises when the car tilts with respect to the axle. Thus, for example, if the car-body is depressed at point X a distance of 2", then the cable will be paid out 2 This will cause each of the branches A and B to lengthen 1", but the beam end at Y does not rise 1 since the connection of the cable to the car-body at 26 causes said cable to be lowered 1", since point Y is depressed half the distance of point X. In

- other words, the tendency of the cable branches to lengthen l" and raise the right end of the beam 1" is counteracted by the fact that the cable is connected to the car-body at 26 (point Y), which is depressed 1", thus maintaining the beam 1 in its original position, unaffected by the tilting of the car-body.

While the invention has been disclosed ascomprising a cross beam of half the axle length, and, therefore, utilizing two cable branches, it will be understood that the same principle can be generally applied and that the effective length of the beam may be made any fraction of the effective axle length and the number of cable branches will be the inverse of said fraction. The effective length of beam and axle is the length between the points of connection thereto of the cables. That is to say, if the beam is made onethird the length of the axle, then the cable would be continued up to the beam to provide a third branch, or if one-fourth, then there would be four branches, etc.

The construction and operation of the recording mechanism is substantially the same in principle as has been described in the said Sperry Patent Number 1,843,959. Briefly, it may be stated that there is mounted on a platform P within the car-body a gyroscope G which is mounted to spin on a horizontal axis so that the spinning wheel maintains a fixed vertical plane and the vertical ring 3|! of said gyro, which is thus stabilized in the vertical plane, stabilizes through a link 3| a lever 32 pivotally mounted on the said platform at 33. Said lever maintains the vertical and through a link 34 provides a pivot for a lever 36, one end of which is connected through a link 31 to an upstanding arm 38 on the cross beam, so that differences in elevation of the rails of the track which cause rocking of the beam will transmit said movement through a pin carried by the upstanding arm and a slot 4| in said link 31 to rock the lever 36 which carries at its other end a pen 5|) operating on a traveling chart C. The pin and slot connection permits the vertical movement of the beam caused by bouncing vibrations ofthe body. A spring support 5| is provided for said beam by means of a sleeve 52 slidably mounted on a supporting rod 53 extending through spring 5|, which is here shown as a coil spring. Said spring is under compression and serves normally to maintain the cables taut. The said gyroscope and its vertically stabilized lever provides also a pivot 35 around which the movement of the car-body may take place, and said movements recorded independently of the movements of the axle. For this purpose the said platform is fixed to the car-body, therefore partaking of the tilting movements of the car-body, and has fixed thereon arms 60 pivoted to a yoke 6| which swings around the stabilized pivot. Said yoke has one side 62 thereof extending upwardly and carries at the upper end of said upwardly extending arm a pen 10 operating over the same chart, which will therefore represent body tilt.

The above arrangement is also effective to prevent movement of the track elevation recording pen when the car-body tilts, for assuming that the car-body tilts in a clockwise direction, there is an apparent movement of the stabilized vertical lever 32 in a counter-clockwise direction which causes the lower end to move outwardly and press the arm 36 carrying said elevation recording pen outwardly, that is, in a clockwise direction similar to the direction of the carbody, and the parts are so proportioned that such movement of the pen is to the same extent, and hence the said pen 50 will show no apparent movement with respect to the car-body and the chart when the car-body tilts. If, however, there is at the same time difference in elevation of the rails of the track, such difference in elevation will be recorded.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have disclosed how the principle of my invention may be applied also to determining the differences in elevation in each rail separately, that is, for determining the contour of each rail. The invention consists in utilizing substantially the same mechanism as in Fig. 3 turned through 90 so that the cross beam I0 is substantially parallel to the rails instead of perpendicular thereto. The same principle of operation is involved, the cable being connected at one end 26 to the floor of the car and extending over pulleys 25 in the ends of beam I0 and thence passing over pulleys 20 and 2| beneath the car and having its other end connected to a cross beam M. In this instance the beam l4 takes the place of the axle l4 and is mounted on the outer journal boxes of a car truck. The beam ID in this instance is exactly half the effective length of the beam l4 and therefore there are two strands, A and B, of each cable extending over the pulleys 25. If any other ratio of beam H] to beam M were employed the number of strands would be correspondingly varied, as hereinbefore described.

It will now be seen that when a difference in contour of the rail is encountered that is shorter than the car length as shown in Fig. 5, there will be an inclination of the beam M with respect to the car body and a corresponding inclination will be imparted to beam ll] so that said beams are maintained at all times parallel. Should the car bounce or pitch longitudinally it will have no effect upon the parallelism existing between beams I and M for the same reason as fully explained hereinbefore in connection with the Fig. 3 form, wherein it was shown that rolling of the car could not affect the parallelism of beam l0 and axle M.

The beam l0 may be provided with an extension 38 for operating the mechanism giving a representation of differences in contour, which mechanism in this case is a recording pen 15 operating over the chart 0. Said pen is operated from the extension 38 of the beam by means such as the pin and slot connection 40, 4|, the slot being formed in the link 3'! which in this instance is connected to one end of a Bowden wire H, the other end of which is connected to the pen 15. The sheath 12 of the Bowden wire may be fastened at one end to the fixed frame P by means such as a bracket 14.

The device. described above will also give a representation at joints as well as representations of differences in surface contour. A difference in surface contour will be a relatively long representation, whereas a joint will give a sharp representation because it is of short duration. Thus, low rail joints may be detected, since the degree of representation at a joint will be a function of its condition.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each-fixed at one end to the axle and at the other end to the car-body, there being a plurality of cable branches between the beam and the car-body, the number of cable branches between the beam and the car-body and the relative effective lengths of said beam, axle and cables being so proportioned that the beam remains parallel to the axle regardless of tilting of the axle and the car-body.

2. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each of said cables having one end fixed to the axle and the other end fixed to the car-body.

3. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each of said cables having one end fixed to the axle and the other end fixed to the car-body, and intermediate portions of said cable engaging said carbody and said beam.

4. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each fixed at one end to said axle and at the other end to the car-body, said cables engaging said beam, said beam being of different effective length than the effective length of said axle, each of said cables including a plurality of branches between said beam and said car-body, the number of said branches being the inverse ratio of the effective beam length to the effective axle length.

5. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each fixed at one end to said axle and at the other end to the car-body, said cables engaging said beam, the effective length of said beam being onehalf the effective length of said axle, said cable including two branches between said beam and said car-body.

6. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each of said cables having one end fixed to the axle and the other end fixed to the car-body, there being a plurality of cable branches between said beam and the car-body, the number of said branches being the inverse ratio of the effective beam length to the effective axle length.

7. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each of said cables having one end fixed to the axle, intermediate portions of said cable engaging the base of the car-body and passing over said beam, the other end of each cable being fixed to the base of the car-body.

I 8. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body, and connections between said beam and the truck axle comprising cables, each of said cables having one end fixed to the axle, intermediate portions of said cable engaging the base of the car-body and passing over said beam, the other end of each cable being fixed to the base of the car-body, the effective length of said beam being one-half the effective length of said axle.

9. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body and connections between said beam and spaced points on one of said trucks comprising cables each fixed at one end to the car-body and at the other end to the respective point on said truck.

10. In a track recorder system, a car-body mounted on trucks, a rocking beam within the car-body and connections between said beam and spaced points on one of said trucks comprising cables each fixed at one end to the carbody and at the other end to the respective point on said truck, said beam being of different effective length from the distance between said points, each of said cables including a plurality of branches between said truck and said beam, the number of said branches being the inverse ratio of the effective beam length to the effective length between said points.

LESLIE F. CARTER. 

